Phpto: UNWTO.

By Frank Martin

Good news released recently by the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer confirmed that world tourism increased by 182% between January and March 2022, when comparing with the same months of 2021.

Certainly the figures are encouraging.

The countries economically supported by the arrivals of people on vacation received 117 million of them compared to 41 million in the same period of the terrible 2021.

Another piece of good news contained in those statistics is that of the additional 76 million international arrivals during the first 2022 three months, around 47 million were registered in March.

For experts, these data reveal that recovery is gaining momentum.

Europe and America are the most favored continents in these first results of 2022 because while the European received almost four times more internationals travelers for an increase of 280%, in the Americas they doubled according to the comparison between last year and the current one.

The Caribbean and southern Mediterranean Europe each had, in the three months analyzed, recovery rates classified as rapid by the UNWTO.

Arrivals in both global regions recovered to nearly 75% of 2019 levels, with some domestic destinations reaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

The optimism that these statistics raise in the tourism industry sows an important seed: the hope that the reopening of the sector severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic continues to expand.

However, two factors still hinder such encouragement: certain now more limited outbreaks of the epidemic that still occur and the war in Europe.

Even the most optimistic among the experts believe that the international environment is still very challenging from the negative factors can.

It is not possible to ignore the adverse economic influence everywhere from oil prices and general inflation.

These are sequels capable of disrupting international supply chains increasing transportation and accommodation costs.

Despite these situations, the most recent forecasts are confident that the number of global arrivals in 2022 will reach 55% to 70% of 2019 levels in 2022.

However, the increases in tourism recorded in 2022 compared to last year acted as a talisman against events that may lead to the crisis again.

One example is the results of a UNWTO Panel of Experts survey of those members with an overwhelming majority of over 80% seeing better prospects in 2022 than in 2021.

Optimism and also the expansion of confidence can grow, although without losing sight of the fact that everything started and control over the pandemic continues to advance.

And that, certainly, a farewell to arms be said.